Former state trooper admits viewing child porn on the job

June 18, 2010

Bond was set at $200,000 Friday for a recently retired Illinois State Police trooper who admitted downloading child pornography to his state-issued mobile laptop and viewing it in his squad car while on duty.

Juan Rodriguez, 50, of Glen Ellyn, told investigators that he had been viewing child pornography from 2003 until he retired in March "because he was bored on duty," Assistant DuPage State's Attorney Helen Kapas-Erdman told Judge Neal Cerne.

Rodriguez, a trooper for 27 years, had been assigned to District 15, which covers the state tollway system.

The prosecutor said Rodriguez admitted viewing the material while on duty to sexually arouse and gratify himself.

The DuPage County grand jury indicted him on Thursday on charges of official misconduct, aggravated child pornography and child pornography.

The investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement linked Rodriguez's credit card to a "pedo-heaven" Web site and his state computer, Kapas-Erdman said.

"The discovery of this defendant was totally random," she said.

Rodriguez, who sat quietly with his head bowed in bond court, has no criminal record. If convicted, he would face up to seven years in prison.

Cerne told Rodriguez that if he is able to post bond he can have no access to the Internet and no unsupervised contact with anyone under 18.

DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett said that cases of "official misconduct against state troopers are rare, but a strong message must be sent."